2 Samuel 16 - Israeli Authorized Version

¹ And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mfivoshet met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.

² And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.

³ And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Yerushalayim: for he said, To day shall the house of Yisrael restore me the kingdom of my father.

⁴ Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mfivoshet. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my YY , O king.

⁵ And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.

⁶ And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.

⁷ And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Bliyaal:

⁸ YY hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and YY hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Avshalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.

⁹ Then said Abishai the son of TZruyah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my YY the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.

¹⁰ And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of TZruyah? so let him curse, because YY hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?

¹¹ And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for YY hath bidden him.

¹² It may be that YY will look on mine affliction, and that YY will requite me good for his cursing this day.

¹³ And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.

¹⁴ And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.

¹⁵ And Avshalom, and all the people the men of Yisrael, came to Yerushalayim, and Ahithophel with him.

¹⁶ And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Avshalom, that Hushai said unto Avshalom, Elohim save the king, Elohim save the king.

¹⁷ And Avshalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend?

¹⁸ And Hushai said unto Avshalom, Nay; but whom YY , and this people, and all the men of Yisrael, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide.

¹⁹ And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence.

²⁰ Then said Avshalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.

²¹ And Ahithophel said unto Avshalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Yisrael shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.

²² So they spread Avshalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Avshalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Yisrael.

²³ And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of Elohim: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Avshalom.